For the past 40 years we have witnessed the relationship between Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. Spanning from a friendship since childhood to a budding relationship that led to marriage, the two have always shared the stage as a couple whom would surpass the trials and tribulations of time.

However, all good things must come to an end as on August 4th the two announced that as they would continue to work together, they would part ways romantically.

"It's a day-by-day, moment-by-moment process," Kermit said at the event. "Piggy and I have gone our separate ways romantically." - Kermit The Frog

"I have no problem working with my ex, OK? It's fine. You know what? Dating moi is like flying close to the sun. It was inevitable that Kermit would drop down to the ground while I stayed in the heavens." - Miss Piggy

The two even went as far to release an official statement to the press in regards to the termination of their relationship:

Celebrities even seemed to chip in on the sadness they felt hearing of the two's breakup, but the real backlash began this week as it seemed a new woman had become the object of Kermit's affection.

We were introduced to Denise, and it appears as if her and Miss Piggy are acquaintances to say the least which makes the situation just a little messier. Photos exposing the two have lead to quite the media backlash as fans and muppet lovers everywhere aren't happy with how quickly Kermit has seemingly been able to move on, causing Kermit to once again release another statement:

And in true fashion, Twitter and Instagram didn't disappoint with their opinions either:

One thing is for sure, whether we agree or disagree with Kermit's lifestyle choices, ABC has executed a wonderful media stunt to promote the upcoming Muppets series set to air on September 22nd, as Kermit and Denise have already been featured in the shows promos.

Are you Team Piggy or Team Denise? We wanna know, weigh in, in the comments below and let us know how you feel.

The Baltimore riot of 1861 (also called the Pratt Street Riot and the Pratt Street Massacre) was a conflict on April 19, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland, between anti-War Democrats (the largest party in Maryland), as well as Confederate sympathizers, and members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington for Federal service. It produced the first deaths by hostile action in the American Civil War.

Now before every goes into thinking that this is a piece attempting to lay claim that the events going on in Baltimore are some sort of conspiracy, I assure you that isn't that. I just started doing my research and the riots of 1861 are one of the first things that came up, so it's something to think about and let marinate. So I'm sure you've had thousands of posts on this subject and I'm sure there have been some that are far more thought provoking than this one, but I had some things on my mind after following the Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, watching the hashtags take over social media and getting to watch things from the sides of the protesters, the folks trying to ride the violence out and the police. But before we go there, let's talk about what this particular incident was about and then lets talk about what actually starts the rioting...

By all accounts being reported, Freddie Gray was a likable person who had a very laid back personality... but even in the midst of him being the communities baby and his very tragic passing (no one is attempting to make light of the wrong in that, but follow me here) he did have a history of drug offense charges. Now does that give them the right to break your spine in eight places? I think most reasonable people would say no. But, the judgment to harass does come from some place and we as the black community have to, just as much as we want to acknowledge the wrong of police brutality, acknowledge that we do play some sort of role in how we're perceived by those who are probably already abusing their power... DON'T GET SIDE TRACKED BY MY STATEMENTS ABOVE. I'm building here, so stay with me....

And so the timeline plays out as follows:

Sunday, April 12

8:39 a.m.: Police said officers were working in a West Baltimore area with a history of violence and drug deals, and a man, later identified as Gray, was seen at the corner of North Avenue and Mount Street.

The officers approached the man, who then fled on foot, but the reason for the approach remains a part of the ongoing police investigation, police said.

8:40 a.m.: A police officer was heard telling dispatch that officers had one person at 1700 Presbury Street, two blocks south of North and Mount, police said.

8:42 a.m.: A “wagon,” or van, was requested for transport, according to Baltimore police, and that Gray asked for an inhaler.

8:46 a.m.: The driver of the van believes Gray is acting “irate,” police say. An officer asks the van to stop so the paperwork can be completed, according to Baltimore police. At this point, Gray is taken out of the vehicle, placed in leg irons and then put back in the van, police said.

8:59 a.m.: A request was made by the driver of the van for an additional "unit" to check on Gray, police say. There was some undisclosed communication with Gray at this point.

9:23 a.m.: Emergency medical services directed a technician to respond for an injured patient, as heard on a recording of the call that was publicly released.

9:24 a.m.: Police officers requested paramedics to the Western District to transport the man to an area hospital. In a subsequent charging document, police said, “During transport to Western District via wagon transport the Defendant suffered a medical emergency and was immediately transported to Shock Trauma."

9:37 a.m.: On-scene medical responders said Gray was not breathing, according to EMS reports.

Thursday, April 16

Gray was said to be in a coma by his attorney.

Sunday, April 19

7:00 a.m.: Gray died. A vigil has been scheduled for this evening and the six officers involved have all been placed on paid leave.

So then we protested on April 23...

But then misguided anger brought out the inner nigga and then...

Now rather than telling you that rioting is wrong, let me explain it in a different way. What made the protesting, rioting, etc. of the Civil Rights era effective in most instances is a couple of things:

1. A legitimate agenda, with real demands and people committed to dying (and not just destruction) for the cause that they were set out to protest/fight/riot against.

2. There was no spin media that could present the negative overtones in massive amounts like there are now (thanks CNN, NBC, Fox, and ABC... way to keep it "fair and balanced").

3. There were leaders whose agenda was the agenda of the people, rather than the agenda of their organization (or at the very least they presented themselves as such). For as much "good" as some of the African American based organizations may do, they often times are scurrying about with the Ray J, "I Hit It First" mentality.

So back to the riots in Baltimore...

The riots are as much about a plea for a resolution to police brutality and equality across races, as it is about people who see a great opportunity to raid the local corner store and stock up on rims from the pawn shop that's being broken into. But if we want to bring about a resolution about these social issues, we (meaning everyone in the urban communities affected by racial profiling and unjust discrimination) have to do a few things:

1. We have to stop using the same stereotypes that even we are off put by, as justification to rationalize what we view to be wrong. Even we don't trust a nigga with his pants hanging off his ass (we talk about it on black twitter), so we can't keep crying discrimination when even we don't trust those people. Sure Lil Trey-Trey with the dreads, face tattoos is someone we went to high school with, but I think it's safe to say if we're managing a company, pumping our gas at 2AM at a not so well lit station, etc that we're not going to be slightly unnerved if we're honest about how even we perceive those things.

2. We have to stop (at least to some degree) the self infliction and then want to cry mistreatment. We're not operating as a village in the child rearing process, we're all (not some because I get the need for some to do it) recording violence against our community members, but no one is willing to jump in to stop it. Would Freddie Gray have happened if he had been pushed toward the local community college or if years prior someone took an interest in him and put him in athletics? We can't ignore the fact that he ran from the police.... NO ONE IS SAYING HE DESERVED TO DIE, but we have to acknowledge as a community where we are failing our young people and be willing to stop justifying the wrongs and then attempting to argue them with "Well, the white people get off scott free!"... we know it's not fair YET, so we have to play defense while we're at a clear disadvantage. When MLK broke a law and went to jail he said, "I acknowledge this was a law I violated, however I find this law to be unjust." He never once sold dope and then blamed the white man for oppressing him and them being the reason he broke the law... gotta stop with the foolishness folks

3. We have to decide if we're willing to lose for the lack equality we complain about on social media. In the words of the Infamous Mobb Deep, "There's no such thing as half way crooks!" We have to be willing to lose jobs, lose money, lose freedom and lose our lives... ALL OF US in order for the agenda to be pushed forward... knowing that you may push for change and not see it in your life time, but you believe in the ideal so much that you know a change will come if we press forward. So, are you willing to lose that 3br/2ba house with the white picket fence for an ideal? Is true freedom worth you're $60,000/yr and that nice Toyota Avalon that you worked so hard to obtain?

All this being said, let me just emphasize that I'm not supporting the police brutality, I'm just as angry as the rest of you. But I'm also not going to destroy everything then turn around ask the city government to fix it all just to go back to work and in six months forget Freddie Gray's name and be dealing with the same issues... it's time to take a stand, but if we're going to, it has to be real. It has to be organized and it has to have an end game. You can't riot for the sake of rioting. If you're going to riot you pick the places with an agenda behind doing so otherwise you are exactly how they perceive you... a bunch of out of control niggas.

I love you all, keep your heads about you, protect each other and remember, the world is watching... let them tell stories of you that you'd want to live throughout the ages...

And it's with all that, I leave you with this until next time... time to choose what we want to be...

The two besties are gearing up to be featured in a reality show on MTV. Contracts are almost done and we're promised that the show will be far from "ratchet."

Insert side-eye here, as we all know these baby mamas are trying to create a relevance for themselves separate from their well known baby daddies. With so much in common, i.e.: recently single, famous counterparts, and past lives on the pole, the show is expected to focus on Amber and Chyna juggling their children, playful friendship, solo entrepreneurial endeavors and club appearances.

With contracts still in the works it's not sure how much the duo will be receiving upon signing and launch. However, ratings are expected to supersede, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the reality show that details the lives of the BFF's nemeses, the Kardashian-Jenner sisters.

There's also been word that the exes of the bombshells, Wiz Khalifa and Tyga, who currently has his own show on MTV2, may be featured on the series, which could do nothing but boost ratings.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out but nonetheless the deal is genius in regards to money-making moves if the show garners half the attention of their individual social media outlets. Who wouldn't wanna make money making a show with their partner in crime.

With Straight Outta Compton continuing to break the bank weekend after weekend, the film has brought quite the noise when it comes to untold Hip Hop Biopics. The film has prompted viral memes created by fans of every generation expressing their requests of artist stories' that haven't been and should be told next. Including a sequel to the film many of us are still rushing to go see.

With Straight Outta Compton delivering the necessary nostalgia to the fans of the NWA era and beyond, it's no surprise many are hopeful for a continuation of the story that focuses on Snoop Dogg, Tha Dog Pound, Tupac, and Death Row.

Daz Dillinger is to blame for the stipulation. Known for his work with Tha Dog Pound and Death Row records, Dillinger opened his mouth to say that this film would come to be, and even would have Ice Cube's approval. However, that is nowhere near the case.

A Universal spokesperson set out to clear up the unnecessary hype as he gave a statement to Entertainment Weekly claiming "At this time, there are no plans for a Straight Outta Compton sequel." Ice Cube also gave word to his publicist to make things a little clearer expressing that although he does like the idea, he hasn't authorized any plans for a sequel.

With all the success Straight Outta Compton has garnered, what Hip Hop Biopic are you all interested in seeing brought to the big screen? Let us know in the comments below:

Perhaps nothing has been more entertain… no that’s not the right word. In truth, I don’t think there is one singular word that can be used to summarize or capsulate the life and career of Jonathan Johnson, better known to his fellow rapper and the Jacksonville community at large as simply Grand Prix.

A native of Jacksonville, FL, Grand Prix was born and raised in the county where they, “bang em’ and hang em,” maintaining a respectable life and graduating from Sandalwood High (which has become a feeding ground for local models, promoters, rappers and DJ’s). Upon completion of his high school career, he did what most practical young black men of our time did, he went to college… for the financial aid money (we’ve gotta get those rims on our cars some kinda way… that was a joke…). Pledging Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at the University of North Florida and then transferring to complete his collegian career at Florida A&M all while releasing a few mixtapes to minor reception from the public.

But perception seems to be something Prix has never concerned himself with… so he kept working. And he’s worked hard to get to where he’s at today, which is something he should be commended on. He has a very solid knowledge of the business and his writing skills were never questioned. What was questioned however was his ability to project those same words over the beat… in short, his flow has …

I think I’ve been one of the few friends and business partners of Prix that has told him consistently in his career when I felt like something he put out was wack, rather than sparing his feelings. Me being polite is a disservice to our friendship, a waste of his time, beats he’s paid for, and the energy he’s exhausting to promote something that I KNOW won’t be successful. So I’ve tried to remain candid with him even when I knew others weren’t being as candid because in doing so they’d lose an artist who pays for his studio time ON TIME, will help promote for their events in a manner that any REAL promoter would appreciate, etc.

But finally he’s moving in a positive direction, the flow is finally starting to come together and the music is becoming appealing. I’m proud of the homie Grand Prix and I have no doubt that the alliance with Back Door Music will be mutually beneficial. You can check out more of Grand Prix at www.grandprixmusic.com or follow Grand Prix on Twitter… @grandprixmusic!

Well, after years of loving it, but never really writing about it, I've decided to dedicate a section of the blog to my childhood love... pro wrestling. I'll try to get some content up every week about Raw, Smackdown, New Japan Pro Wrestling or whatever I can get on TNA (since those fuckers don't show on my cable!)

So this week I'm gonna keep it simple and give you a little perspective on why I love this. Before you go off on a tangent wanting to tell me how wrestling is fake, how they don't really get hurt, etc. let me just clarify something... it's definitely scripted, it's not fake and a real wrestling fan gets offended when you fuckers who are willing to sit and watch people run back and forth chasing a football up and down the field want to debate "logic" in entertainment. I think most reasonable fans know it's scripted, but we respect the attempt at the slight of hand to hide the razor and understand sometimes they bleed the hard way (meaning it wasn't supposed to happen, but someone didn't get their hands up fast enough when running into a pole or getting hit with a chair). Here's an example of "the hard way"...

This is why it's offensive when you tell a man who is putting his body and sometimes life on the line that what he does is "fake" that it's insulting. So it's definitely scripted and entertainment, but you've gotta be an athlete on some level to do what they do, which is why I love it so much... plus there's nothing better than heckling small children when Brock Lesnar takes their hero to Suplex City! But I grew up a fan from probably the age of five when I first saw NWA/WCW on TBS at 6:05PM on Saturday's... man that was the best thing in the world to watch guys flying around like superheros and for a kid who loved comic books and action figures wrestling fit right into all of that!

So as a grew up I tried to run away from it because like most young kids do, I started to follow behind my friends and be more concerned about being made fun of than being myself and letting that be cool enough. So I took my love for Z-Man, Arn Anderson, the Ultimate Warrior and others and tried to put it on a shelf and hide it away... only watching it when I knew I was around my friends who wouldn't judge me for it. Eventually, as wrestling always has, it made a comeback to the young adult audience in the late 90s and I was able to enjoy the NWO and the Attitude Era publicly without any ridicule! It felt good to see the wrestling jargon being used in pop culture and the Rock, Stone Cold, Booker T, and others being able to reach massive audiences!

I went away from wrestling for a few years while in college because... well... I was fucking a lot of women, but as my life slowed down, I fell in love, started staying home a bit more my childhood passion for it came back, so even when it isn't always at its best, I try to sit down and watch it as much as I can and I decided 4yrs ago that I was going to start going to Wrestlemania on a yearly basis and since Wrestlemania 28 that's exactly what I've done. Miami, New York, New Orleans, and San Jose I've been to them all! What I can tell you the experience has taught me is that you're only as old as you allow society to dictate to you!. In March I got to sit next to 70+ thousand people, most of which who were adults who said "FUCK YOU" when it came to allowing others to tell them that enjoying this is childish and that's really a cool thing to be apart of. And at the end of the day, isn't life about doing what makes you happy? So sure, this shit is scripted, but so is most of TV, but make no mistake when these guys get hurt and the ref throws up the "X" shit has gotten very real...

Yes, I went to Mania in full on Sting facepaint#committed #thanksSteph

So don't be afraid to jump out and take risk! Stop letting society tell you when you're supposed to put away childish things! Learn to laugh at yourself! Love what you want to love and when you love it BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT! Hold it with both hands and never let it go because the moment you allow society to take what you enjoy from you, you start living for them and not for yourself.

So my name is Brandon Kolby Jacobs and damnit I love pro wrestling and if you don't... well....

And yall can catch me in Dallas, TX next year (Lord willing) to pick up another one of these...

The Baltimore riot of 1861 (also called the Pratt Street Riot and the Pratt Street Massacre) was a conflict on April 19, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland, between anti-War Democrats (the largest party in Maryland), as well as Confederate sympathizers, and members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington for Federal service. It produced the first deaths by hostile action in the American Civil War.

Now before every goes into thinking that this is a piece attempting to lay claim that the events going on in Baltimore are some sort of conspiracy, I assure you that isn't that. I just started doing my research and the riots of 1861 are one of the first things that came up, so it's something to think about and let marinate. So I'm sure you've had thousands of posts on this subject and I'm sure there have been some that are far more thought provoking than this one, but I had some things on my mind after following the Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, watching the hashtags take over social media and getting to watch things from the sides of the protesters, the folks trying to ride the violence out and the police. But before we go there, let's talk about what this particular incident was about and then lets talk about what actually starts the rioting...

By all accounts being reported, Freddie Gray was a likable person who had a very laid back personality... but even in the midst of him being the communities baby and his very tragic passing (no one is attempting to make light of the wrong in that, but follow me here) he did have a history of drug offense charges. Now does that give them the right to break your spine in eight places? I think most reasonable people would say no. But, the judgment to harass does come from some place and we as the black community have to, just as much as we want to acknowledge the wrong of police brutality, acknowledge that we do play some sort of role in how we're perceived by those who are probably already abusing their power... DON'T GET SIDE TRACKED BY MY STATEMENTS ABOVE. I'm building here, so stay with me....

And so the timeline plays out as follows:

Sunday, April 12

8:39 a.m.: Police said officers were working in a West Baltimore area with a history of violence and drug deals, and a man, later identified as Gray, was seen at the corner of North Avenue and Mount Street.

The officers approached the man, who then fled on foot, but the reason for the approach remains a part of the ongoing police investigation, police said.

8:40 a.m.: A police officer was heard telling dispatch that officers had one person at 1700 Presbury Street, two blocks south of North and Mount, police said.

8:42 a.m.: A “wagon,” or van, was requested for transport, according to Baltimore police, and that Gray asked for an inhaler.

8:46 a.m.: The driver of the van believes Gray is acting “irate,” police say. An officer asks the van to stop so the paperwork can be completed, according to Baltimore police. At this point, Gray is taken out of the vehicle, placed in leg irons and then put back in the van, police said.

8:59 a.m.: A request was made by the driver of the van for an additional "unit" to check on Gray, police say. There was some undisclosed communication with Gray at this point.

9:23 a.m.: Emergency medical services directed a technician to respond for an injured patient, as heard on a recording of the call that was publicly released.

9:24 a.m.: Police officers requested paramedics to the Western District to transport the man to an area hospital. In a subsequent charging document, police said, “During transport to Western District via wagon transport the Defendant suffered a medical emergency and was immediately transported to Shock Trauma."

9:37 a.m.: On-scene medical responders said Gray was not breathing, according to EMS reports.

Thursday, April 16

Gray was said to be in a coma by his attorney.

Sunday, April 19

7:00 a.m.: Gray died. A vigil has been scheduled for this evening and the six officers involved have all been placed on paid leave.

So then we protested on April 23...

But then misguided anger brought out the inner nigga and then...

Now rather than telling you that rioting is wrong, let me explain it in a different way. What made the protesting, rioting, etc. of the Civil Rights era effective in most instances is a couple of things:

1. A legitimate agenda, with real demands and people committed to dying (and not just destruction) for the cause that they were set out to protest/fight/riot against.

2. There was no spin media that could present the negative overtones in massive amounts like there are now (thanks CNN, NBC, Fox, and ABC... way to keep it "fair and balanced").

3. There were leaders whose agenda was the agenda of the people, rather than the agenda of their organization (or at the very least they presented themselves as such). For as much "good" as some of the African American based organizations may do, they often times are scurrying about with the Ray J, "I Hit It First" mentality.

So back to the riots in Baltimore...

The riots are as much about a plea for a resolution to police brutality and equality across races, as it is about people who see a great opportunity to raid the local corner store and stock up on rims from the pawn shop that's being broken into. But if we want to bring about a resolution about these social issues, we (meaning everyone in the urban communities affected by racial profiling and unjust discrimination) have to do a few things:

1. We have to stop using the same stereotypes that even we are off put by, as justification to rationalize what we view to be wrong. Even we don't trust a nigga with his pants hanging off his ass (we talk about it on black twitter), so we can't keep crying discrimination when even we don't trust those people. Sure Lil Trey-Trey with the dreads, face tattoos is someone we went to high school with, but I think it's safe to say if we're managing a company, pumping our gas at 2AM at a not so well lit station, etc that we're not going to be slightly unnerved if we're honest about how even we perceive those things.

2. We have to stop (at least to some degree) the self infliction and then want to cry mistreatment. We're not operating as a village in the child rearing process, we're all (not some because I get the need for some to do it) recording violence against our community members, but no one is willing to jump in to stop it. Would Freddie Gray have happened if he had been pushed toward the local community college or if years prior someone took an interest in him and put him in athletics? We can't ignore the fact that he ran from the police.... NO ONE IS SAYING HE DESERVED TO DIE, but we have to acknowledge as a community where we are failing our young people and be willing to stop justifying the wrongs and then attempting to argue them with "Well, the white people get off scott free!"... we know it's not fair YET, so we have to play defense while we're at a clear disadvantage. When MLK broke a law and went to jail he said, "I acknowledge this was a law I violated, however I find this law to be unjust." He never once sold dope and then blamed the white man for oppressing him and them being the reason he broke the law... gotta stop with the foolishness folks

3. We have to decide if we're willing to lose for the lack equality we complain about on social media. In the words of the Infamous Mobb Deep, "There's no such thing as half way crooks!" We have to be willing to lose jobs, lose money, lose freedom and lose our lives... ALL OF US in order for the agenda to be pushed forward... knowing that you may push for change and not see it in your life time, but you believe in the ideal so much that you know a change will come if we press forward. So, are you willing to lose that 3br/2ba house with the white picket fence for an ideal? Is true freedom worth you're $60,000/yr and that nice Toyota Avalon that you worked so hard to obtain?

All this being said, let me just emphasize that I'm not supporting the police brutality, I'm just as angry as the rest of you. But I'm also not going to destroy everything then turn around ask the city government to fix it all just to go back to work and in six months forget Freddie Gray's name and be dealing with the same issues... it's time to take a stand, but if we're going to, it has to be real. It has to be organized and it has to have an end game. You can't riot for the sake of rioting. If you're going to riot you pick the places with an agenda behind doing so otherwise you are exactly how they perceive you... a bunch of out of control niggas.

I love you all, keep your heads about you, protect each other and remember, the world is watching... let them tell stories of you that you'd want to live throughout the ages...

And it's with all that, I leave you with this until next time... time to choose what we want to be...

Primarily because the majority of those in it seem to have some sort of family or social ties to one another. Samir manages the urban events at the Plush Entertainment Complex and happens to be Bigga Rankin’s nephew. Bigga stopped throwing bottles at me because he knew my sister Karla, who used to date Lil Bodie (Big Bodie’s little brother… and Big Bodie is a member of Bigga’s Cool Running’s Crew) not to mention Bigga knew my brother-in-law Materon aka David Thomas from around the way.

These sorts of intermingling connections can best be referred to as the Six Degrees of Separation or a Human Web. Six degrees of separationrefers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

Such is the case with Vernon K. Johnson of D.I.M.E. (Dollars In Music Entertainment) who has been making moves in and around the Jacksonville scene of music and entertainment.

DJ Tru Story (left) Vernon K (right)

Entering the market as a promoter, Vernon's influence can clearly be seen. Allow me to elaborate:

I.Vernon K. Johnson- The CEO of D.I.M.E. and head of marketing for marketing for Lex Promotions in northern Florida

a.Kandice Jacobs- Sister to former W.A.T.S./ New Blood Founder Brandon Kolby Jacobs who was a college friend of Vernon’s, helped in the early beginnings of D.I.M.E.

Brandon & Kandice Jacobs

i.Brandon Kolby Jacobs- Former CEO of New Blood Entertainment, former W.A.T.S. founder, former member of Team Tay Dizm, and Editor of brandonkolbyjacobs.com. Brandon was inspired to be involved in the music business by watching D.I.M.E. meetings that were conducted in his house.

1.Rodger Reiter- Former assistant to Russell Simmons and Benjamin Chavis and Co-Founder of W.A.T.S. along with Brandon

a.Terri Sherman- A native of Jacksonville. Terri has worked in numerous capacities from working with Derek Washington of Upstart Entertainment, to managing artist, and general music consultation. Terri met Brandon through Rodger and obviously Brandon knew Vernon through Kandice and they all work every closely together now.

i.Swordz- Currently under Terri Sherman’s management. Vernon has also been influential in the resurgence of Swordz’s career.

b.Grand Prix- Upon returning from Tallahassee, Grand Prix was introduced to Brandon through Rodger and Prix has gone on to form very strong business relationships with numerous members of this web, most recently Back Door Music…

Vernon K, Brandon Jacobs and Grand Prix @ the 2007 DJ Melange

2.D. Whiteboi- Integral part of the expansion of New Blood Entertainment into Jacksonville. D currently works in the studio where Chris Slade (Vernon’s Brother) records…

3.Pat Benoit- Co-Founder of W.A.T.S. and former employee of TJ Chapman’s now defunked TJ’s DJ’s. Pat has promoted for many of the same artist as Vernon, due to their inter-related business partners in south Florida.

4.Marcus Homer- A former Pointblank teen promoter, Marcus got his first opportunity to be the “front man” under New Blood Entertainment and their events. When Vernon called Brandon about potential promoters for his Twisted Sister Friday Night, Marcus was recommend. Marcus has gone on to retire, unretired, and retire again… all along leaving a slew of successful events in his path.

5.Da Woodz Boyz- Breaking through into the college entertainment scene in 2008 (mostly by ruining Brandon’s event’s by throwing their free house parties on the same nights) the Woodz Boyz was a collection of popular men on campus who operated in many ways like a fraternity (with their own grip, their own stroll, etc). They aggressively made their mark until they disbanded in 2009. Before their breakup, the Woodz Boys threw one of the largest college parties in recent memory with Vernon at Twisted Sister.

The Woodz Boys in 2009 @ Lux

6.UNF Greek Life- Because of the relationship between Brandon and Vernon many of the fraternities and sororities began to gravitate towards D.I.M.E. as has been shown by their ability to maintain a very solid portion of the college market in attendance of their events. D.I.M.E. currently has events with all members of NPHC on UNF’s campus at their new Friday night location-- Tera Nova.

b.Chris Slade- Being the brother of Vernon speaks for itself. Chris has released several mixtapes over the course of his career with mixed reviews. Partu the Cool was released in the spring 2010 with very positive reviews across the board.

Chris Slade (left) and DJ 151 (right)

c.Maurice- Longtime friend of Vernon’s who has been a significant figure in D.I.M.E. and partnering company Wallstreet Promotions. Maurice also worked for as a founding member of the original makeup of Point Blank Entertainment.

Wallstreet (left) and Maurice (right)

d.Wall Street- Partnering company with D.I.M.E., founder Ben Parker has also, like Maurice, been a long time friend and one of the founding members of Point Blank.

e.Point Blank is viewed as the dream of Ivory Orr, but many people who have come and gone make up Point Blank’s legacy. Point Blank is now arguably the largest and most successful promotion company in Jacksonville… a company that Vernon had a significant hand in during its beginnings.

i.Ivory Orr- CEO of Point Blank, Ivory and Vernon went to college together at UNF where the entertainment aspirations began.

Ivory & His Wife in 2005

1.Pretty Ricky- Originally coming from a dance background, Ricky began is promotional career under D.I.M.E. and later moved to Point Blank where he has become a prolific DJ and manager in his own right.

a.Back Door Music- Like Point Blank, Back Door Music, is a collection of members of the entertainment community brought together by Pretty Ricky.

b.Yung Trap- Managed by Pretty Ricky, many say Yung Trap is the hottest rapper in Jacksonville, second only to the currently incarcerated Young Cash.

(from left to right) Ivory, Yung Trap, Young Cash, and T. Pain

2.Leo Moxley- The apprentice to Ivory, Leo has unquestionably made a significant impact through his ability to reclaim a college market that was at one point turning away from the Point Blank events.

3.J-Floyd- A crucial member of the Point Blank camp as it stands today, J-Floyd (along with Roger For Mayor) fill the void that was left in Maurice’s departure from Point Blank.

4.Rude Boy DJ’s- Helmed by DJ Rick Rude (who is the brother of one of Ivory’s “Chosen Few” group members) they have made their mark by breaking into the clubs through Point Blank events.

ii.Roger For Mayor- One of the few surviving members from the original collection of Point Blank Entertainment, Roger played basketball at EWC and has since established himself as an infallible member of the Point Blank family.

iii.Chris Francisco- One of the initial business partners of Ivory Orr in the structuring of Point Blank Entertainment. Chris has also been the president of the alumni committee of the University of North Florida

iv.DJ D-Money- Another original member of PBE, D-Money has gone on to a successful career in his own right.

1.Fireman DJ’s- A collection of Northside DJ’s who got their start in the strip clubs and working under D-Money in major venues. They have since become members of the Cool Runnings DJ’s that Vernon is known to service music to.

2.DJ Cap

v.DJ 151- A close friend to both Ivory and Vernon. 151 left Point Blank in 2009 to focus more on his career and has since moved on to pursue his goals in California.

f.DJ Tru Story- DJ for many of Vernon’s events, a DJ for numerous Woodz events in their hay day, Tru Story hails from Detroit, but has made Jacksonville his home and has grown to be very successful.

Clearly, Vernon’s impact cannot be denied and as seen here, many people owe their careers, their business relationship, etc to knowing Vernon in some capacity or another… this is just a small example of his influence.Much like the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, there’s no question that when it comes to Jacksonville, FL., there’s definitely only 6 degree to get to Mr. Vernon K…